As you prepare to move to Salt Lake City and start looking for a home, you will naturally check out Zillow and Redfin.

However, if you have children, there's one more thing to consider besides the home price and number of rooms: school ratings.

This can be confusing from the start.

A school that looks good on Zillow might have a different rating on another site.

Why is that?

Many real estate websites use data from GreatSchools for their school ratings.

The issue is that each site does not update its data at the same time.

GreatSchools may have already released new scores, but the real estate site might still show the previous scores for a while.

So, if you are seriously considering a home, you shouldn't make a decision based solely on the number shown on Zillow.

It's a good idea to look up the school again on GreatSchools and check with the school district to see which school is actually assigned to that address.

So, what do the scores from 1 to 10 on GreatSchools mean?

They don't simply rank schools based on students' test scores. They also reflect state standardized test performance, student growth, and equity indicators.

For high schools, data related to graduation and college readiness may also be included in the evaluation.

One key aspect to pay attention to is student growth.

For example, let's say students at School A have very high test scores from the start. If their scores haven't improved much after a year, their growth rating may not be high.

On the other hand, School B might have lower average test scores than School A, but if they tracked the same students and saw significant improvement over the year, they could have a better growth rating.

This means that even if a school looks average based on test scores, it may actually have good educational outcomes.

Equity also looks at whether only students who are already doing well achieve good scores, or how well the school supports students who are struggling academically.

Therefore, I believe it's not wise to judge a school simply by saying a score of 9 is always good and a score of 6 is bad.

There are highly rated schools around Salt Lake City, but what's important is which school is actually assigned to the house you are considering compared to the district average.

This is really important. Even if two homes look like they are in the same neighborhood, the school boundary can change just by crossing one road. The real estate listing may mention good schools nearby, but when you check the actual address, it could be assigned to a different school.

This is especially crucial for those looking for homes from out of state, as they may not be familiar with the local geography.

It's much more accurate to check the exact address to see which elementary, middle, and high schools are assigned rather than relying on the vague statement, "This area has a good school district."

Once you've checked the scores, you can look into the schools in a bit more detail.

Check how many students there are, the student-to-teacher ratio, math and English proficiency levels, and student growth. Parent reviews can also be helpful.

Reading reviews can reveal stories that numbers alone can't convey. You can learn about the school environment, communication between teachers and parents, homework load, and after-school programs based on real experiences. However, since a few reviews do not represent the entire school, it's best to consider them as supplementary information.

One important thing to know in Utah is the Open Enrollment policy. While there is a default school assigned based on your residence, if conditions are met and there is space available, you can apply to other schools or schools in different districts.

However, thinking "Then I can buy a house anywhere without worrying about school districts" can be misleading. There's no guarantee that you will get into your desired school, and there are limits and application conditions.

Ultimately, if you're looking for a home to raise kids in Salt Lake City, it's helpful to think of the process in this order: find a home you like, check the assigned school with the exact address, look at the most recent ratings on GreatSchools, and then check test performance, growth, student demographics, and school programs.

And if possible, visit the area around the school before making a contract. Observe the traffic situation during school hours and see how long it actually takes to get from the house to the school.

When moving from out of state, it's easy to make a decision based only on house photos, but if you have children, the school is a place they will attend every day for years to come.